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Accused of racial discrimination at George Washington Carver Academy, the Indian River School district submitted its official response on Dec. 5, denying all claims of intentional wrongdoing at the alternative school.

Special to the Coastal Point • Submitted: One of the units that received the sweet treats from Mangini sent along a photo of thanks.For more than 10 years, Judy Mangini has been doing her part to support those serving her country overseas. Each holiday season since 2005, she has been mailing cookies to service military members stationed overseas.

“I have a cookie exchange at my house every year. I started that in 2004, and I had all these cookies left over and I don’t need them,” she said with a laugh. “I thought, ‘Had I thought ahead, I could ship what we had overseas to our men and women who are away during the holidays, so they can have a taste of home while their away.’ So, in 2005, I did just that.

“It’s just a way to show them that we truly appreciate the sacrifice that they’re making, as well as their families, to protect our freedoms and our liberties, as well as those in other countries.”

Coastal Point Photos • Laura Walter: It’s not really a ground-breaking event without dignitaries, officials and volunteers chipping in to get things started, and things got started in a major fashion at the Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek.It all started in 2011 with a small cocktail party and a meeting at the library. Now, the governor and Delaware’s First Lady are attending groundbreakings and the endowment is growing for the Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek.

On the cool, sunny morning of Dec. 1, most of the leaves had fallen in Dagsboro, obscuring the ground where flowers will reappear next spring, and where miles of green briar have already been heaved out.

“The Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek will be a world-class, inspirational, educational and sustainable public botanic garden in southern Delaware, created for the benefit and enjoyment of all,” their mission promises.

Children across the land have been preparing for the upcoming slate of holiday concerts almost as diligently as they’ve worked on their lists for Santa. Horns are tooting, drummers are drumming and singers are tuning their pipes in anticipation of the chance to shine in front of their families and friends and spread some holiday cheer while they’re at it.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: Former state Sen. George H. Bunting announces an environmental award while former DNREC Sec. Collin O’Mara and his wife, Krishanti, share a laugh.Clean water isn’t a matter of environmentalists versus business versus farming. Everyone benefits, so clean water has to be considered “a value,” not a political issue, said Collin O’Mara, president/CEO of the National Wildlife Federation and former head of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control.

“There are a whole lot of things we could do if we were a lot more collaborative about it,” O’Mara said at the Nov. 30 Love Your Inland Bays Dinner, hosted by the Inland Bays Foundation.

Clean water must be considered an economic driver, not a nuisance, he said. For example, Realtors and builders rely on a healthy vision of the bays, which are currently “Look, but don’t touch,” as many of the waterways aren’t safe for swimming or fishing.

“You can’t have a thriving … community, unless you have access to clean water,” O’Mara said. “We know folks want to be close to those resources.”

As soon as the New Year, part of Bethany Beach will have a new look, with Pie restaurant owners Dan Lewis and Robin Rankin and Artful Bean owners Rose O’Hanlan and Kim Warner reaching an agreement last week that would allow Pie to expand, while the Artful Bean looks for a new home.

Aiming to spread holiday cheer, the Town of Ocean View will be holding its annual Holiday in the Park this weekend. The public is being invited to join in the festivities at John West Park on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 3 to 5 p.m.

Special to the Coastal Point • Christina Weaver: Paolo and Luca Donato donate to Santa’s Book Bag. Paolo even donated to the cause the money he was given at his Dec. 1 birthday party.“I like the idea of all kids having a brand new book for Christmas,” said Paolo Donato, who turned 6 on Dec. 1.

And that, in a nutshell, is what Santa’s Book Bag is all about.

Santa’s Book Bag is the brainchild of Lynne Davies, a retired teacher who recently moved from New Jersey to Bayside in West Fenwick.

“I was at my book club meeting in Northern Jersey a few years ago, and we were talking about what an important role books had played for each of us as children. I even remembered the smell and feel of the pages when I opened up a new book and wondered about the story,” said Davies.

“And then the idea came to me, as clear as can be — even the name, Santa’s Book Bag,” she added. “From there, I set out learning how to donate books to the best organizations to get them to needy children and which businesses would be willing to have collection boxes. By Christmas of that year, we collected over a thousand books to donate.”

The Union Army of the Potomac had high hopes, so to speak, for a new technology that became available shortly after hostilities between the states erupted in April 1861. As the Northerners faced Confederate troops across the Rappahannock River in Virginia in June 1862, Brig. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys wrote a note to Thaddeus Lowe, asking, “Have you been able to ascend this morning?

IR swimming aiming for fourth straight South title, first conference title

Coastal Point • Shaun M. Lambert: The Indian River High School swim team is hoping to earn their fourth straight Henlopen South and first-ever Henlopen Conference title this season.They graduated two of the top swimmers in Indian River High School history, in Mason Sanders and Lauren McCoy.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is a youth infusion of new swimmers joining the ranks and returning veterans coming back even stronger has Indian River High School head swimming coach Colin Crandel with not only hopes for a fourth straight division title for both the boys and girls, but a possible first-ever conference title for the boys as well.

“The boys’ team doubled in size — we’ve got more talent than I anticipated, so I’m really excited about our chances,” Crandel said. “It’s a really good moldable group that I can work with.

“With the boys, I anticipated a rebuilding year, but more of them came out than I anticipated, and they’re more talented than I anticipated.”

Legendary Indian River coach Dale Steele passes away at 68

Coastal Point • Submitted: Dale Steele coaches for the Indians during the mid-1980s.Hanging up facing the desk of Athletic Director Todd Fuhrmann at Indian River High School is a photo. There isn’t much else on display.

The photo is in black and white, and it’s simple: Dale Steele leaned back in his chair in his own former office, with the look of someone who’s exactly where they’re meant to be, doing exactly what they’re meant to be doing.

The point of the photo is simple as well. It’s a reminder for Fuhrmann from his former mentor on not only how to do the job, but on how to do the job well.

That’s the kind of legacy and influence that Dale Steele left behind at Indian River High School and across the Sussex County sports world when the long-time IRHS athletic director, head football coach and baseball coach passed away after a battle with cancer on Friday, Dec. 2, at the age of 68.

“He really helped me out, and helped me learn the ins and outs of being here in the small school setting,” said Fuhrmann, who spent a year under Steele after arriving at Indian River as an athletic trainer in 2004.

“He really loved the kids and just loved everything he did. He did everything for the kids. That was what was so great about him.”

IR boys’ hoops starts 3-0, aiming for South title

That’s what head coach B.J. Joseph set out to do after taking over the Indian River High School basketball team last season.

Now, in just his second year at the helm, his coaching philosophies are already starting to set in, with the Indians off to a 3-0 start with wins over Delmarva Christian, Worcester Prep and Seaford.

“He keeps us going. He wants to work hard every day — he’s not playing around,” said senior forward Isaiah “Izzy” Bratton of Joseph. “We’re confident, but we’re not slacking off. Not a bit. We still have to go hard at practice.”

“It looks like the culture is starting to change,” said Joseph. “I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

Four of the five players making the cut were seniors, with senior forward Johan Cordoba being named to the state Top XI list, senior goalkeeper Kevin Calles and senior defender Patrick Mochiam named First Team All-State, and senior forward Mikie Mochiam and junior forward Oscar Cruz being named Second Team All-State.

Along with senior midfielder Mac Smith, who was sidelined for most of the fall with a foot injury, Cordoba, the Mochiam brothers and Calles were also invited to play in the annual Blue-White All-Star game, with Calles being named MVP, Cordoba notching a goal and Smith marking three assists in that game.

This season, they helped lead the Indians to a 13-3 record, the group’s fourth straight Henlopen South title, a third Henlopen Conference title and a third DIAA state championship appearance, having won it in 2013 and 2015.

Coastal Point • Tripp Colonell: IR senior forward Johan Cordoba is met by teammates after scoring the game-winning goal against St. Georges in double overtime at the state semi-finals.Only five players from each region are selected by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) as All-Americans and, this year, Indian River High School’s Johan Cordoba is one of them.

Not only was the senior forward named a First Team All-Conference selection, as well as a Blue-White All-Star selection and to the DIAA All-State Top XI team, but last week, coaches from across the state voted to honor Cordoba with one of the most prestigious accolades in Delaware high school soccer.

“I was very happy when I found out that Johan had been recognized,” said IR head coach Steve Kilby.

“I went into the All State meeting under the premise of putting Johan up for the Coaches’ Top XI Team — it’s a difficult task; there’s always more upstate coaches than there are downstate coaches. You figure, Sallies, they’re putting up four or five guys for that team, and here’s little Indian River again looking to get some recognition for a player that’s very deserving of it.”

Building on last year’s successful debut, Bethany Beach will again celebrate the holidays each Saturday in December with Weekend Wonderland, which will feature special shopping hours, and festive activities including caroling around the town’s boardwalk holiday tree, free gift-wrapping, a holiday movie, crafts for children and a chance to meet characters from the Disney movie “Frozen.”

Selbyville, Millsboro, Dagsboro and more this weekend

For those in need of some holiday cheer, a number of local parades are ringing in the Christmas season in the next two weeks. Families are being invited to line the streets and cheer on their favorite floats, marching bands, fire trucks, classic cars and local celebrities.

The cooler nights of December are going to give way to a tropical breeze this weekend, with the Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation’s (QRCF) annual Caribbean Christmas event at Mango’s in downtown Bethany Beach on Saturday, Dec. 3.

There’s never a wrong time to give people a hand up, and the Selbyville Community Club is helping veterans this winter with the annual “Coats & Sweats for Vets” campaign. People may donate gently-used winter jackets, sweatshirts or sweatpants at Selbyville Town Hall for the entire month of December.

If local parades and tree-lighting events don’t offer a big enough helping of holiday spirit, there are two area events that offer winter festivities on a grand scale: Winterfest of Lights in Ocean City, Md., and the new Winter WonderFEST in Lewes.